Indian Pickles Recipe

I will share with you my recipe for Indian pickles - the one I have found easiest in terms of preparation and lowest in expense:

1. Be in Paris.
2. Wake up, get dressed - just throw on anything, you're not going to the nicest area of town.
3. Take the metro to the Gare du Nord.
4. Take the rue Faubourg St Denis exit and walk up that street in the direction of the hospital Fernand Widal. After one short block, you will reach the New Pondichery restaurant, 189 rue du Faubourg Saint Denis. Look at the front window display and make sure they have some tandoori chicken, etc. that you can carry out so that you will have something to eat with the Indian pickles you are about to buy.
5. Walk about a half block and you will begin to come across Indian
'cash & carry' grocery shops. I prefer the second one on the left, but it doesn't matter - they will all have several shelves of Patak's Original pickles.
Take your pick, that's why they call them pickles. I recommend Garlic Pickles and Mixed Pickles. Buy several, because you never know when you'll be back.
6. Walk back to Gare du Nord and take the train home.
7. Viola, your Indian pickles are ready for consumption, plus you ended up with a nice Indian meal as well that required no real additional preparation.

Just a suggestion: To enhance the culinary potential of the pickles, be sure to drink plenty of liquids during your meal. The pickles are rather spicy - some more so than others. The Garlic pickles less so, the lime pickles more so. I recommend drinking red wine, vodka, or whiskey, but not at the same time. I am not a beer drinker, but my guess is that you can't go wrong with a decent six-pack.

I find that these pickles go with virtually anything - fish dishes, pasta, eggs, poultry, vegetarian dishes - you name it.

Warning: These pickles, as prepared above, are highly addictive. You may want to consult your family doctor about the specific risks to your internal organs - especially your stomach - prior to consumption.

While I'm on the topic, my recommendation for best Indian and Pakistani restaurant in the Ile-de-France is in the Paris suburb- I kid you not - Rosny-sous-Bois, 25 rue General Leclerc: Shalimar, which is one block up from the RER E station. Excellent cuisine, inexpensive, and warm welcome. Order the excellent Stuffed Paratha (Indian bread with vegetables) to start off your meal, and you will receive a small plate of Indian pickles.

For more great advice, visit Paris Beyond's companion blog: http://parisrestaurantreviewsandbeyond.blogspot.com/
(Review of Shalimar forthcoming.)